Najiyah happened upon Salah with Nila. They obviously like each other a great deal. Worse, the Aunties don’t seem especially bothered by it. When Iimi gets cornered by Najiyah with a request, how will she help pick up the pieces when Najiyah is… Broken?
Post-Comic
Notes:
This is a Catholic comic, of course. But Islam and Arabic culture play a significant role in this issue. Where Islam contradicts Catholic belief, I will, of course, defend the Catholic side of things. But I won’t knowingly use stereotypes and misrepresentations… though I can make mistakes through misunderstanding what I read in research (I try to use Muslim sources and avoid things I can’t verify in multiple sources).
Adding to the issue: Because Hipso Hill is a favored refuge for the families of wealthy Muslims from “The City” (a mashup of San Francisco and Sacramento), the Mosque in Hipso Hill comprises people from different cultures. Iacoub and Waqifah are from Egypt. Salah is from Jordan. Ibtihaj is from Algeria. Siddiqa and Najiyah are from Qatar. Sumeja is from Bosnia. Nila is from India, and so on.
So, how Islam is not a monolith here. We have different concepts of how it is practiced… not to mention the various levels of devoutness among the individuals. The common denominator is they are all Sunni Muslims (I doubt my ability to accurately add Shia, Ibadi, and Sufi beliefs and practices to the mix), and a majority follow the Hanafi interpretation. Most of the adults and perhaps half of the youth at the mosque are originally from foreign countries.
Arranged
marriage, the
principle behind Salah and Najiyah’s now-ended relationship, is a difficult
concept to grasp in the West, especially in fantasy works where trying to
escape an arranged marriage in favor of true love is often part of the
heroine’s story. So, the differences between how American culture views
relationships and how they are viewed in the Middle East may shock my average
reader. As I understand it, when arranged marriage is involved, the assumption
is that the couple will grow in love over time. “Love at first sight” is not a
common theme. (Nila and Salah are unusual here).
Note that part of Nila’s reaction to the rishta between Salah and Najiyah was because, in her culture, a rishta was aimed more at women in their late 20s who were not married yet.
However, remember that even though it differs from a Western Christian approach, the mosque complies with US law in its practices. So, keep that in mind when you encounter something that seems “strange.” There is no sexual abuse or “child marriage” going on here.
Art Credits:
Cover and
page 5 Backgrounds: Figudesign © – 2021. Used under license
